Monsters as coin types in Ancient Greece.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2448-1750.revmae.1995.109237Palabras clave:
Apotropaic functions of coins - Represention of monsters and the evil eye - Coins as amulets.Resumen
If we wish to understand the true character of Greek coins, we are forced to consider it under its several aspects. Besides being a measure of value and an instrument for exchange, coins belonged to a whole set of objects used with magical and/or religious purposes. First of all, we can consider coin types apotropaic in a sense that they were not just plain representations but were expected to have a special efficiency. From this point of view, the representation of monsters would act as a means to fix the monster’s energy and at the same time fight it, under the general principle of sympathetic magic of “like banning like”. On the other hand, as objects, coins could be used as amulets and/or talismans, when hanged around the neck. Coins could also be offered in sacred places and thus be considered as a protective devices against eventual misfortunes.Descargas
Los datos de descarga aún no están disponibles.
Descargas
Publicado
1995-12-18
Número
Sección
Artículos
Licencia
Derechos de autor 1995 Maria Beatriz Borba Florenzano
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 4.0.
Cómo citar
FLORENZANO, Maria Beatriz Borba. Monsters as coin types in Ancient Greece. Revista do Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, São Paulo, Brasil, n. 5, p. 223–234, 1995. DOI: 10.11606/issn.2448-1750.revmae.1995.109237. Disponível em: https://journals.usp.br/revmae/article/view/109237.. Acesso em: 19 may. 2024.